


Still Whole

by LuciaWilt



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amputation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Disability, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Mature just in case, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciaWilt/pseuds/LuciaWilt
Summary: No matter what she lost, he still loved her.





	Still Whole

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this like, months ago and just remembered it.

Robin was not a fool. Really, she was quite intelligent. Where those smarts came from; she perhaps would never know. Yet they were there for her like an old friend. It was one of the few things she had. That meant things came with that intelligence. She was well aware of attachments people had for one another. Brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers; that was just human nature. As a tactician for a unit of soldiers, that was a large factor. Robin herself had developed them in the course of Chrom and Lissa finding her. Chrom. He was possibly the person she was closest to. Whether it was from the constant time they spent together, forcibly through their positions, or something else; she wasn’t sure. The two of them just seemed to click into place. That, however, did not stop her from going out onto the battlefield. Stars above, it probably only gave her more need to get her ass out there; if not to protect him from Risen and enemy soldiers. So with vigilant eyes, she watched out for not only Chrom, but everyone else that she had come to care for. 

~’~

Maribelle. Robin’s head whipped around. The rain was heavy but she could still see the blond troubadour. That, and there was the dirtied white Pegasus and brunette knight beside her. It seemed as though Sumia had been caught by an arrow. The two females were trying to fix up the injured animal. Right in the middle of the battle. Yes they didn’t have anywhere else to do it; but it was still strategically a poor choice. They were sitting ducks at that point. Both were vital to the Shepherd’s. For them to be in danger made Robin’s heart race. For a few moments, she tried to look away; but the endeavor came up a failure. With just a thunder tome in her hand, she usually stayed behind the close ranged fighters. That gave her more than enough room to be distracted for a few moments it seemed. 

It was a good thing she was watching the two women as well for a rather large Risen was quickly shambling in their direction. With both of them pretty much down for the count, they were wide open. Of course Sumia had her lance, but that wasn’t going to do much with how large the thing was. Sumia was not a large girl by any stretch of the imagination. Neither was Maribelle. Robin was distinctly taller and more built than the two. Even if she just had a tome and a small sword on her, she probably had more of a chance at fending off the thing. So even though she was hesitant to turn her back away from Chrom and the others, she knew that this was the safest thing to do. It would save the most amount of lives. Keeping down casualties was high on her list of priorities. Robin hated deaths. Then there was the fact that Sumia and Maribelle both held soft spots in Lissa and Chrom’s heart. With how much Robin cared about those two, she was not going to let the women get injured. It was settled. She sprinted off in their direction through the muck and the rain. As she ran, her hood flew down, causing her hair to get far more soaked than it already was. She was actually stunned that she could run as fast as she could. 

Keeping people safe. That was all she wanted to do. Keeping people safe. She did not like war. She hated war, seeing pain and death. Robin felt as though the run towards them was taking forever. Like a dream where it did not matter how fast you ran, you still would not get anywhere, her heart started to sink. Was she actually going to make it? Would she be able to save them? In a last ditch effort to pick up her speed, she shuffled off her heavy rain soaked cloak and sprinted the rest of the way. Dropping her sword but keeping her tome, Robin reached out with one hand. It had to be a dream. With her running having been in slow motion and now her vocal chords not working, it was all playing out like some horribly ironic nightmare. I won’t let them get hurt! 

Adrenaline pumping with Sumia and Maribelle both facing away from the creature, right as the Risen pulled back its giant axe, Robin jumped in front of them.

~’~

Both Maribelle and Sumia knew that was not rain. The water that fell from the sky was icy, biting at their skin. The liquid that splattered against their backs was warm. It felt sticky and hot. Then there was the distinct wound of someone’s pain. Both had heard that as well. Warriors they were. They grew up in a time of growing tensions between two major nations. So they spun around away from Sumia’s steed and nearly screamed. 

Robin apparently had been watching their backs for a Risen had been sneaking up on them in the heat of the battle. However, Robin was not a hand to hand fighter. She was one to command others in the midst of battle, to stand back and send bolts of lightning to enemies that tried to break through the front lines. Apparently she thought that she could take on a Risen nearly twice her size. 

Sumia felt bile raise in the back of her throat, Maribelle close behind yet with a hard frown on her face. The Risen had swung their axe down at an angle. Robin, in her attempt to block the attack, had gotten caught by the blade. Its giant edge caught right into her side. What was so stomach turning was what had also gotten caught. Robin’s left arm was pinned to her side underneath the blade as well. It dug in about halfway between her shoulder and elbow. Both women saw Robin’s right hand twitching towards the blade as though she would be able to pull it out in that state. 

They knew it was not thinking, but it seemed as though the Risen had taken pity on the poor tactician. It flicked Robin off its blade sending the woman down onto the muddy ground. Sumia really did vomit then for Robin’s arm, in the process of the Risen throwing her off its axe, the tactician’s arm had been severed off. It fell next to its owner. “Oh Naga.” Sumia said after finishing puking. Maribelle was frozen. This was her fault, she thought to herself. Robin groaned in pain. Her right hand reached up to where her other limb had been severed. It was so much more apparent with the heavy cloak gone. There was so much blood. There was way too much blood. Where was Lissa? Where was Chrom? Chrom would know what to do. Of course he was hard headed and a lot of times foolish, but he cared deeply for Robin. He would know what to do. He would protect her. 

“What do I do?” Maribelle muttered to herself, her eyes unable to look away from the blood that was leaving Robin’s wound far too fast. It was all too much. It was all so much for Sumia and Maribelle because they did not notice the same Risen swinging its axe back once again. However, even with one of her arms gone, Robin gripped her thunder tome. She had enough wherewithal to shout with an attack, destroying the Risen. That was understandably all that she had left in her. Robin collapsed her head back into the mud. Her eyes went hazy from the pain and the blood loss. “Gaius!” The thief had been staying back, just like the healers and the other long distance fighters. It had actually been a part of Robin’s plan. And all too just take over this run down castle, Maribelle screamed in her mind. She wanted to ring Robin’s neck. How foolish could she be? Especially for someone that was so intelligent; even though the blond was beginning to question their tactician’s brilliance. 

The red headed thief turned at the shout of his name. Of course, just like usual, there was a lazy smirk on his face; even through this gloomy weather. Giaus started to jog over, but quickly caught sight of Robin lying in the mud. For the first time since joining the Shepherds he looked panicked. The man sprinted the rest of the way.

“What happened?” Gaius was frantic while kneeling beside Robin. His hand reached out and touched her skin. Through the leather of his glove and the sting of the cold rain, Gaius could tell that her skin was even colder. It was obviously from the blood loss, but that wasn’t making anything better. 

“No time. Help us!” Maribelle turned towards Sumia’s Pegasus and quickly healed the rest of its wounds. With it now able to stand, the three of them lifted the injured woman. Luckily for them, it seemed as though most of the battle was coming to an end. They would go through the woods, avoiding the battle. Once they got to the castle, they would send in Gaius to make sure that the coast was clear before going in themselves with Robin. 

It was extremely slow going. When they zigzagged through the trees, it only got worse. However, the three were finally able to make it. Luckily when they sent Gaius in the man came back rather quickly. Maribelle and Sumia guided the Pegasus through the cold hallways to what seemed to be one of main living quarters. As much as Maribelle would prefer to do her healing on a bed, the thing had been torn apart from old age and other external forces. However, there was old cushions. 

So Gaius pulled some of the wood frame from the old bed and tossed it into the fire place. He started the fire while Sumia and Maribelle got Robin set up in front of it. 

“Damn this dim light.” Maribelle bit out while pulling out her needed supplies. It was going to be a long process. The mud and the other bacteria that had already gotten into the wound did not help at all. If she was stronger…if she or Lissa were stronger, they would have perhaps been able to save Robin’s arm. Alas, they did not have such skill. She knew of healers that powerful in the capitol, but they were too far away and Robin had lost too much blood already. At this point all Maribelle could do was heal up what she could and hope for the best. She started with shaky hands and fierce determination. Sumia and Gaius were sitting on either side of Robin beside her. 

In the middle of the process, Robin’s weak voice echoed in the quiet room like a clap from her Elthunder tome. “Are the two of you alright?” She asked while trying to focus on the three faces that hovered above her. They could all tell that she was not seeing anything. Her usually clear eyes were fogged over. 

“Yes we are alright.” Sumia, just like Gaius had been earlier, was frantic while she grabbed Robin’s right hand. “You saved our lives Robin.” Gaius noticed the weak attempt on Robin’s end to squeeze Sumia’s hand in affirmation. Their tactician was quiet for a few moments while the healing process continued. She had a smile on her face when Sumia answered her, but it slowly turned into an anxious frown. 

“What is happening on the field?” She asked with barely in breath left in her. “I have to get back out there.” Her pathetic attempt to sit up was squashed when she yelped in pain. It sure was not from Maribelle’s healing. Robin’s pain just shot from the wound. Her adrenaline from that moment was quickly fading. 

“Shit.” Maribelle’s exclamation caused Gaius and Sumia to turn in her direction. While fixing Robin up, the blond had spotted a black… a black something in Robin’s muscle. It reminded her of the Risen. Yet she had never seen this sort of injury before. Something had interacted with Robin’s system and did not like it. This looked almost like some sort of parasite. She was going to have to get it out. Cutting into an area that had just recently been open via amputation was not going to be pleasant. “Gaius, give me one of your belts.” She knew the man was smart. He immediately did as she said and handed it to her which she promptly put into Robin’s mouth. “Bite onto this.” Robin did as she was told, biting into the black leather. “You two are going to have to hold her down. This is not going to be pleasant.” Maribelle scowled while pulling out one of her small sterile knives. It glinted in the light of the raging fire. She really was not looking forwards to this. 

~’~

“That is the last of them my lord.” Fredrick said as he galloped up on his horse. The rain had not let up, but they were in fact finished on the battle field. Everyone looked absolutely exhausted. Chrom could not help but let out a small snort when he saw how frustrated Lissa looked covered from head to toe in mud. However, that was a small price to pay. Everyone was safe. It seemed as though the only injuries that anyone got was a cut or two. 

“That is good. Let us head into the castle. Robin!” Chrom shouted to his tactician. The two of them had gotten immensely close, Chrom knowing that it was probably far closer than mere friends. The prince wanted her by his side. When he started to walk and not hear another pair of footsteps, he turned; noting that Robin was nowhere in sight. “Robin?” Back and forth he looked among the Shepherds standing in the rain, but she was not among them. “Where in the world is she?” His heart race picked up. Robin did tend to wonder off if she was in the midst of thought. That was never during a battle though. In the midst of Chrom’s head twitching back and forth, Panne, now back in human form, jogged over. Her brown hair was a matted mess from the rain.

“I saw Maribelle, Gaius, and Sumia taking Robin off through the woods on Sumia’s steed.”

“What? Why?” That was odd. Chrom glanced over to the woods to his left. Would they still be in there? Why would they do that? Perhaps Robin needed to plan in the midst of the battle and needed some people to cover her. The fighting was over though. If they had done what he speculated, they would have been back out into the open muddy field. Panne spoke again though, identifying where the four had actually gone.

“Robin was sitting on the steed, but was slumped over. She looked to be either ill or injured. I suspect that Maribelle and the others took her into the castle so they can heal her injures.” Chrom’s stomach dropped. Robin was a sturdy woman. She could take quite a number of hits before going down. For her to have been injured so greatly to be taken out of battle made him sick to his stomach. He was about to run right past Panne into the castle when Gaius came sprinting out. His face was frantic, only confirming Panne and making Chrom even more anxious than he already was. Lissa had walked up towards Chrom while he had been staring at the red headed thief. 

Gaius looked around for a moment before spotting Lissa beside Chrom. “We need you in here now.” 

“What?” Lissa questioned, her face splattered with mud; caked on so much that even the incessant rain had not washed it off. Chrom was not going to wait for Gaius to answer. Instead, he just grabbed Lissa’s hand and rushed forwards. The three of them ran back into the castle, leaving the rest of the Shepherds to meander into the shelter as well. None of them seemed to realize what was happening. That did not bother the prince though. No, he had one mission and one mission only. While they were running with Gaius in the lead, something shook the castle, causing bits of pebbles to clatter down to the floor. “Thunder?” Lissa was shocked. She thought that most of the bad weather had passed. 

When it happened again, Gaius shook his head. “Robin.” That put a kick into their step. After a few more seconds of bobbing and weaving through the halls, they finally came to an open door. Chrom could already hear the groans of agony. When he actually pushed Lissa through, he wanted to scream. 

Sumia was holding Robin down while Maribelle worked on the open wound where Robin’s arm had been.

Had been.

Robin’s left arm was gone. 

Chrom nearly collapsed right then and there. He had to be strong though. If anything, he had to be strong for Robin. Blood had puddled around her. Lissa rushed passed him and immediately started to help Maribelle. It gave Sumia that opportunity to get up and walk over to the prince. “She is stable at least for now. That was what Maribelle told me.” The usually exuberant Pegasus knight looked down right grim. Her pretty eyes were downcast and there was the faintest hint of puke on her. Chrom could not blame her. He felt like throwing up as well as he walked over and knelt beside Robin’s head. He reached out and grabbed her right hand. At that, the tactician looked up through tired eyes. Spotting Chrom she smiled.

“I am sorry I could not help you at the end of the battle.” 

“Hush. Save your strength.” As Maribelle and Lissa finished healing her injury, tying it up and covering it so it would not get infected, Chrom held Robin’s hand and whispered old stories to the panting woman. She may not have heard it, it may not have even helped her, but it helped him. It helped him calm his racing nerves.

~’~

The trip back to the capital was slow going. With Robin out of commission, they actually had to stay at the castle for some time before she would be well enough to move. For a part of the tip, Robin flew with Sumia. It lessened the jostling of her injury and the brunette knight also felt so bad about the entire situation. Chrom was amazed by Robin’s happiness about it all though. Or, at least, her hidden feelings. She was a master at that, hiding how she truly felt. As Robin decided to walk with the others for the second bit of the trip, Chrom saddled up to her.

“How are you feeling?” With her cloak on, you couldn’t even tell that she was missing a limb. It actually just looked like it usually did; just giant sleeves, too big for the wearer. However when she turned to look at him, he was able to catch a hint of sadness in those big eyes. Ah, there it was. Her true feelings for it all. She was upset. Of course she would be. Losing a limb was a HUGE thing. It was losing a part of yourself. Yet she was so strong. She hid her fear and her anger so well. If Chrom was not as close with her as he was, he would not have been able to catch that flicker. 

“Better now. Lissa and Maribelle saved my life.” Robin laughed. That was true. Chrom would be eternally grateful to the two clerics. They really did save her life. If they did not work as fast as they did, Robin probably would have lost a lot more than she did. 

“We will get more healers to help you when we get back.” He paused. The lull in the conversation was tenser than it usually was. It was probably because of recent events. Chrom knew that Robin was thinking self-depreciating thoughts. That was just how the woman. “You are still you Robin.” That caused the girl to stumble a bit, obviously not having expected Chrom to have gotten so deep so suddenly. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw the saddened look. Yep, he hit the target dead center. “Just because you lost your arm does not mean you are no longer my right hand woman. You can’t go slacking because of this.” A firmer tone would get to her better. He was right about that as well. She seemed to buck up some. While he knew that she still thought poorly of herself because of her loss, he knew his words helped. “We can also get some blacksmiths to work on a prosthetic.” 

“What?” This time she actually stopped. Fredrick, up at the front, glanced back but kept going much to Chrom’s delight. He turned towards Robin.

“We can get you a replacement. I’ll make sure of it.” 

~’~

And Chrom kept his promise. When they got back to the capitol, he got all the best wood workers and blacksmiths to put together a prosthetic. The sketches, at first, were all too rudimentary. When he finally got one that he was pleased with, he called upon Robin and they got to work. Because of his status, they were finished in less than a week.

“Because of your affinity for magic and spells, you can use that magic to move it as though it was just your arm.” The maker said as he helped buckle it around Robin’s shoulders. It was a light brown color. Some of the main components were made of wood while it had a casing made of metal. The nails were made of a sharper stone, a defensive thing that Chrom told Robin he was going to have built in whether she liked it or not. It was one of the few times he pulled rank on her. 

Once it was situated nicely on her person, Chrom watched with excited eyes as she closed her own eyes. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the fingers started to move. That motion flowed up her arm and just like that it really was like her old arm. 

The happiness that Chrom saw on her face made his heart warm. When they had been marching back, she looked absolutely heart broken, and that was putting it lightly. To see her like this again was everything he wanted and more. “Chrom,” She turned and he sat up a bit in his chair. They were in his main office in the castle. “Thank you so much.” Robin looked down at the wood, stone, and metal with joy in her eyes. “I really was not thinking happy thoughts before. You gave me my usefulness back.”

“You never lost it Ro-“

“Hush. I know how you feel, but this was what I was thinking.” Robin walked over to the couch and held out the wooden hand. He took it and for a moment there was actually warmth there. It felt like her human hand, though he knew it was from the magic. “Seriously Chrom. Thank you.”

~'~

Though she had gotten a new arm, there were still some workers and nobles within the castle and the country that gave her hideous looks. It always made Chrom’s blood boil. He wanted to just take his sword and fight them all in Robin’s stead, even though he knew that the woman could take them all on. It did not lessen his want though. 

So one night when there was a festival in the capitol and the Shepard’s were all gathered around a large bonfire, he frowned when he found Robin sitting off to the side without her arm. All the other girls and some of the men were dancing around, some were sitting and eating. The weather was beautiful so seeing her with her cloak thrown around her shoulders made his stomach twist. 

“What are you doing Robin?” He asked, sitting down next to her on the log. She looked over to him. There it was again, that mask. It was as solid as stone. 

“Just sitting, enjoying the festivities.” Well it did not look like that to him. He watched as she looked back out over the fire and smiled softly, a yearning image on her face. Of course she wanted to be out there with everyone. Lissa, Maribelle, even Sully. There were some others and they all looked very joyful as they danced about the fire. While Robin was looking away, Chrom and Lissa made eye contact. The siblings spoke to each other through that; whispering words of a plan that Chrom wanted played out. So Lissa then turned and rushed off. While Robin looked a little confused about it, she simply decided to brush it off. That is, until Lissa returned with something in tow. 

“Robin, please come and dance with us.” In Lissa’s hands were Robins’ arm. It looked new in the dim light of the fire. Chrom did not doubt that Robin kept the thing incredibly clean. 

“Oh no Lissa. I’m fine. You all look far more pleased with me here. Anyways, I have no idea how to dance. And with just one arm I-“

“Why do you think I brought your arm down? Plus neither does Sully, know how to dance that is. Just take a deep breath and believe in yourself. And what is dancing anyways? Just flail your body about, go with the beat of the drum.” Chrom had never been more proud of his sister than right then. Robin’s face flushed and she nodded. He helped her out of her coat then helped her strap the arm on. Once it was in place, Lissa grabbed the tactician’s hands and pulled her towards the other dancers. As they went about, Chrom could see the walls cracking. Robin’s genuine smile formed once again and it warmed his heart more than the fire ever could.

“That was very clever of you Chrom.” Emmeryn’s soft voice came from behind him. He jumped at his older sister’s sudden presence. She always was so quiet. Either way he looked up when she stood beside him, her hand clasped behind her back as she looked out to the dancers. “You are growing up to become quite a fine young man. Or, perhaps, there has been someone to expedite that process as of late.” He saw the smirk on her face. She always looked a little funny with that look, but he could not lie and say she was wrong. 

Instead he just glanced back out towards Robin. Lissa yanked that poor woman right out of her hardened shell and now she was flourishing like a desert flower. He…

“I love her.” His eyes widened. He loved her. He loved Robin. He loved her so much that his chest felt like it was going to explode with the need to protect her, the need to have her by his side. 

“And what of her arm?” Emmeryn spoke. The question, he could not tell what she meant by it. But he was an honest man. Many told him he was often too honest. 

“She could lose all of her limbs and she would still shine brighter than any star in the sky.” Emmeryn’s sudden hand on his shoulder caused him to glance up at his older sister. That smirk was gone, her ever present soft smile in its place. 

“You really have grown so much Chrom. I am proud of you. And I feel it, that love in your heart. It is truly a special thing that a rare few experience. Do not let go of it because it will make you that much stronger. The two of you need each other. With you two together, you will be unstoppable.” Chrom felt his heart only swell further. A blessing from Emmeryn was of the highest honor. Not only was she his older sister, but the Exalt as well. All he could do was stand and crush her into a tight hug.

That feeling of love painted the rest of the night. 


End file.
